Neutrality in the Body
Where do you feel neutral in your body?
Ears, elbows, fingernails, soles of feet, nose, etc. are often neutral for people. For others, some of those body parts might be activating.
Neutrality in the body most definitely looks different for each person based on their lived experiences. There is no right or wrong when it comes to identifying sensations in your body.
Reminder that noticing your body sensations can be really activating. So be gentle with yourself. If noticing your body feels overwhelming in this moment, pause here and shift your attention to something that feels less activating and more calming and/or distracting.
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Often when people come to therapy they are intently focused on what does not feel good in their mind, body, and life (rightfully so!).
Somatic and trauma focused therapies (including Brainspotting and EMDR) allow for exploration of what does feel good in the body, mind, and life.
While this shift from distress and discomfort to peace and joy in the mind and body is the ultimate goal—first accessing neutrality in the body can make access to feeling “good” sensations easier.
It can be really difficult to move from the familiarity of pain to the unknown of peace and joy. Our bodies and minds can be attached to the pain we feel for survival reasons. Because our system is always trying to first and foremost protect ourselves, trying to feel “good” sensations in the body can feel inaccessible and even unsafe.
To support the body in shifting out of a pain and stress state to a calm and joyful state we need to set the foundation. Identifying neutrality in the body is this foundation. When you can notice what neutrality feels like in your body, you have a resting state to return to when “the pain” or “the good” feels distressing, overwhelming, or too hard to access.
Instead of stressing yourself out to feel all the “good” things right away as you start your healing process, I encourage you to try identifying neutrality in your body first.
The good feelings will come naturally as you feel safer and safer in your body. This takes time, patience, and support.
This practice of neutrality can be supportive for all people.
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Example of identifying body sensations and neutrality:
Pain/discomfort in the body: My stomach feels tight and nauseous
Peace/ease in the body: My shoulders feel relaxed and light
Neutrality in the body: I am aware of my earlobes in this moment and can bring attention to them. There is no strong sensation I can identify, they feel neutral to me. I am going to take a moment and focus on this neutrality. As my mind naturally wanders, I will bring my attention back to my neutral earlobes.
Do this for a few seconds or a few minutes— or for as long as you need this resource.
***Somatic tip:
A neutral feeling is different than a numb, disconnected, or floating feeling (this is something you can explore more in therapy)
***Somatic tip:
Search for a “sensation wheel” online. This is similar to a “feelings wheel” and is helpful when identifying body sensations
How often are you mindfully noticing your body sensations? Do you have spaces of neutrality you can come back to in your body? Maybe this information feels activating on its own and you’re wondering why.
If you are curious about how to establish a mind/body connection in real time, you might want to look into somatic practices, EMDR, Brainspotting and other therapies involving the mind, body, and nervous system.
